Black Academia This Week Vol. 15

Once again it’s Friday, and that means another Black Academia This Week. As always Black Academia This Week was created to share what is happening in the Black community in the academic space. You can either read (through this blog post) or watch it via @blkgradstudent. Hopefully you enjoy this week’s Black Academia This Week.

1: Salt Lake Community College letters to Black Students

After a Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Black History Month event hosted via Zoom was disrupted, the students started an initiative called To Our Black Students, with Love. This week, they shared letter number 24. In reading the letters, you can see that students are standing in solidarity with SLCC’s Black students . In reading the letters, you can see that the students are empathizing with the students over the experience. The initiative is a unique and creative way for students to show their support for Black students after the incident. Often we see polarizing messaging after events like this so having the opportunity to review letters of love and support feels refreshing. While I look forward to seeing more letters from this initiative, I do hope that one day we can move past incidents that trigger the need for the letters.

If you would like to see more about the Zoom incident, you can find the information in the following article: Racist agitators disrupt Black History Month event | The Globe (globeslcc.com)

2: Black professor now named for Iowa County

Iowa’s Johnson County made the decision to have the county now be named for Dr. Lulu Merle Johnson. Johnson’s being one of the first Black women enrolled at the University of Iowa. While there, she earned her undergraduate degree, and earned her Ph.D. Also, while at the university she went on to become a professor. Eventually she went on to become a dean at the Cheyney University. Overall, her career was full of achievements.

The decision to make the change was due to the previous name Johnson County was named for former Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson. However he was a former slave owner, and was know to have killed Native American chief in the battle of 1805. This was an association that Johnson County wanted to move away from leading to the decision for a new association.

3: Alcorn State University turning 150 years old

Alcorn State University, the oldest public historically black land-grant institutions, turned 150 years old this week. Alcorn was originally founded in 1871 with the effort of educating descendants of enslaved Africans. The celebration is to run from now until the 2022 commencement, officially ending with the 2022 closing gala. Throughout Alcorn’s history, they have made a variety of impacts in various industries through their alumni. Alumni such as Alex Haley (known for Roots), Dr. Adena Loston (a NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medalist winner), and Leslie Frazier (an Assistant coach for the Buffalo Bills). The effect that Alcorn has provided to the Black community and the academic community is exceptionally valuable and I look forward to seeing the continued impact in the next 150 years.

For more information on the celebration, you can check out the following article: Sesquicentennial Celebration – Alcorn State University.